June 15, 2014 --

The New York Times, in an editorial, June 19, continued its campaign against "Redskins" as name for the Washington franchise in the National Football League, "because the name is disparaging to many American Indians."

The following day, an editorial in The New York Times said cancellation, by the Metropolitan Opera, of a global showing of "The Death of Klinghoffer," an opera by John Adams, "was a step-backward." The opera relates the murder by Palestinians of Leon Klinghoffer, a wheel-chair passenger on the cruise ship "Achille. Lauro."

Rejecting opposition to the opera from the Klinghoffer family and others, the Times explained, "Art can be provocative and controversial." The editorial did not mention the given name of "Mr. Klinghoffer." Another small step to ignoring his humanity? But then composer Adams didn't even have the courtesy to call this tragic victim "Mr."